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Ego-Wrappin'
Kansai and Showa Era influences distinguish this pair
from your standard-issue J-pop duo
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| Masaki Mori (left) and
Yoshie Nakano |
There's a certain time in Japanese pop-the mid-Showa period
in and around World War II-that some Japanese musicians keep
returning to. Like the Pizzicato Five before them, popular
Osaka-bred duo Ego-Wrappin' are fascinated with the kitschy,
jazzy, big band songs of the era.
"There's an element of nostalgia, but for someone of
my generation it also comes as something new," reflects
guitarist and songwriter Masaki Mori in an interview at his
record company office in Shibuya. "It's completely different
from what you hear on today's charts, and sounds much fresher
to me. I think it could appeal to younger people, but most
are not exposed to it. The only time when people might hear
such music is on New Year's TV programs."
"The pre- and post-war period musicians had a real dedication
to their craft," chimes in vocalist and lyricist Yoshie
Nakano. "They lived in an age of material poorness, but
created a more heartfelt music than that of today. Current
Japanese artists seem to be simply copying Western artists."
No one could accuse Ego-Wrappin' of mimicking Western pop
stars. While chart-toppers like Hikaru Utada and Dragon Ash
have refined the art of ripping off Western R&B and hip-hop,
Ego-Wrappin' come off as something entirely original. Which
is not to say they aren't derivative. Since debuting in 1998
with Bule Speaker, the duo have amalgamated influences from
Showa period pop and jazz to rock, ska, cabaret and lounge
music into a contagious stew that has won them a devoted following.
The popular success of Ego-Wrappin' is perhaps all the more
remarkable in a looks-obsessed entertainment industry for
what is, admittedly, not the most visually striking of bands.
They rely instead on Mori's consistently surprising songwriting
and Nakano's voice-the antithesis of the warbling J-pop idoru's
in its range, clarity and depth of expression.
Born and raised in the Western part of Japan known as Kansai,
and forming their band in 1996 in Osaka, Mori and Nakano bring
a certain Osaka extroversion to their music. "Osaka has
a greater sense of freedom. Tokyo musicians are perhaps more
serious, while Osaka musicians have more of a sense of play,"
says Mori.
"Osakans have their own world," Nakano elaborates.
"They're unconventional." This, after all, is the
city that gave the world noise-rockers The Boredoms and eccentric
all-female punk band Shonen Knife. Unlike her plain demeanor
in person, Nakano is transformed on stage, adopting various
persona to convey the drama of her songs, whose impressionistic
lyrics are delivered alternately in Japanese and English.
Originally trained as a concert pianist, Nakano had always
wanted to pursue singing, and met Mori soon after college.
Mori had pursued music secretly against the wishes of his
parents. "My brother was into music and had a band. But
my parents forbid it. I had to play secretly. It was only
after I left home at 20 that I could play music. Now of course
they feel completely differently. They support me 100 percent."
The pair immediately clicked and were soon a local Osaka hit,
with one of their songs, "Disney Girls," selected
for use in a TV drama, and their mini-album "His Choice
of Shoes Is Ill" gaining them a wider audience.
Like many Osaka-based bands, the demands of commercial success
ultimately led Ego-Wrappin' (the idea is that they wrap their
egos in the package of their music) to relocate to the entertainment
capital of Tokyo in 2000, where their record company Toy's
Factory is based. But their hearts, it seems, remain in Kansai.
Following the successes of their second album, Michishio no
Romance, which spawned the quirky hit "Saikoanarushisu,"
and their third album, Night Food, Nakano and Mori settled
into the studio to record their new album, merry merry.
Nakano says that she brought different concerns to the new
album than previous outings. In addition to liking the way
it sounded, Nakano says she chose the name merry merry to
send a positive message. "It was in response to the times.
We are rich in things, but spiritually poor. I feel a sense
of power to lift people up through music, and thought that
was the most important thing I could do. So the feeling of
this album is a bit different from the previous ones. I wanted
to impart a sense of joy."
She says she also experienced something of a political awakening
that influenced the direction of the songs on merry merry.
"I'm now 30, and a lot of people around me are having
children, so I began to think about what the world will be
like when they're my age. In the past I'd never been interested
in political and social topics, but as you become an adult
these things begin to concern you. In the current times, it's
difficult to be silent. There are love songs too, but I felt
it was important to say something, to provide whatever message
I was able to."
Nakano recently participated in her first political demonstration.
"In winter, I joined an anti-Bush rally. We wanted to
march directly in front of the US Embassy, but were forced
to take a Ginza route by the police. I was wondering if it
had any meaning."
Sound-wise, the album also marks something of a change in
direction. The jazzy, swinging elements are still there, but
Ego-Wrappin' have also layered in more rock guitar lines and
electronics than in the past. "Ringo Rakka" ("Apple
Blossoms Falling") has an angular, indie-rock feel, while
"Manhole Syndrome" sounds almost like a Bjork-style
electronica number. "Rather than recent electronica,
I was going for an older sound, more of an '80s New Wave feel,"
explains Mori.
Since 2001, Ego-Wrappin' have been booked with overseas bands
at the Fuji Rock Festival and True People's Celebration. This
and their first overseas tour have whetted their appetite
to take their music abroad. "Recently we performed in
South Korea," says Nakano. "The people were really
nice, really passionate. They were singing along in Japanese.
It blew me away."
merry merry is available on Toy's
Factory. Tokyo dates: Oct 2, 7pm, ¥4,200, Ebisu, The Garden
Hall; Oct 28, 8pm, ¥4,200. Shibuya AX. Tel: Minor Swing
03-5411-4808.
credit: Toy's Factory
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